Would you drop your rates for the sake of the suffering economy?

Its always good to go on case to case basis and lets assume 3 scenarios

1. You have too many clients to handle
2. You have too few clients to handle.
3. You have sufficient clients to give you rates you prefer.

Now in the first 2 cases you have to get a balance of price to move out some clients or add them depending on the scenario you are in and that would mean you are in point 3 like situation and I think that is the right price for your right service.

"for the sake of the suffering economy" - hell no, the "suffering economy" hasn't rewarded me with higher rates during its higher prosperity so now roles are reversed I'm going to give them a taste of their own medicine. If I drop my rates it's for my benefit and so that I keep getting an income, charging $400 and getting $400 is better than charging $500 and getting $0. Anyway, it's recession, not deflation, so the economy is still growing, but at a lower rate than before. So instead of increasing my rates 500 510 520 etc I should only be considering increasing them 500 505 510 etc.

But yes I also agree with Shabbir - if you haven't got enough clients then a rate drop is the natural response in a free market.

if the economy is suffering then its obvious that ur clients are also getting affected, so its not "would u?" IT IS "YOU'D HAVE TO!". Otherwise your clients would stop showing up and wud goto someone else who charges less then u